On the Eve of Zelensky's Visit to America.. Russia Announces the Interception of More Than 390 Drones

SadaNews - Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Tuesday that the city was attacked by more than 390 drones last night, causing damage to homes according to authorities, just ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's anticipated visit to the White House.

Sobyanin stated in a post on the Telegram platform that more than 390 drones were directed towards the Moscow area, explaining that air defenses managed to shoot down most of them long before they reached the city.

The mayor noted that Russian air defenses intercepted and shot down "81 enemy drones as they approached Moscow."

Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov also reported via the same platform that a residential building and homes were damaged, without any reports of injuries so far.

Strikes on Towns in Eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian officials reported on Monday that Russian strikes targeted towns along the front line in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of 7 people and injuries to more than 20 others.

Prosecutors in the Donetsk region, which is the focal point of fighting along a 1200-kilometer front line, stated that 3 people were killed in two areas near the contested city of Kostiantynivka.

The Russian army announced this month that its forces had taken control of the city of Kostiantynivka; however, Ukrainian officials denied that the city had fallen to Moscow.

In another incident, a person was killed near the city of Kramatorsk, which is a crucial area for Ukrainian defenses. Authorities also reported a total of 18 injuries across the Donetsk region.

Meanwhile, Dnipropetrovsk region governor Oleksandr Hanza announced that 3 people were killed and 6 others injured in more than 50 attacks carried out by Russian forces using artillery and drones in the southeastern region of Ukraine.

Hanza wrote in a post on Telegram that Russian forces launched more than 50 attacks on 5 neighborhoods within the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Anticipated Meeting Between Zelensky and Trump

On the political front, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday at the White House for talks to discuss ways to support Ukraine in facing Moscow.

The visit coincides with both Ukraine and Russia intensifying their long-range strikes, as diplomatic efforts led by the United States to end the war that has been raging since February 2022 have stalled.

A White House official informed Agence France-Presse last Friday that the two leaders will meet in Washington on Tuesday, a date that coincides with the funeral of late senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11.

For his part, Zelensky stated he is preparing to meet with the President of the United States and his team, expressing his hope that "Washington continues to support Ukraine and that we can end this war peacefully."

Relations between Trump and Zelensky have often been tense. Since Trump returned to the White House, he has largely halted direct arms shipments to Kyiv, preferring instead the "Burl" program that allows Europeans to purchase arms and then transfer them to Ukraine.

However, Trump has shown greater flexibility toward Ukraine in recent weeks, which remains a key ally of the United States. Notably, the U.S. continues to provide Ukraine with intelligence information and access to the "Starlink" system, ensuring military communications along the front lines.

Sanctions Against Russia

Zelensky is also expected to meet with the U.S. Senate during his visit to Washington. Two aides to Senate members reported that all 100 members have been invited to a meeting on Tuesday evening with the Ukrainian president.

One of the aides stated that the Senate may hold a vote on a bill to impose sanctions on Russia, which Graham was a prominent supporter of.

The bill, aimed at reducing Russia's energy sales revenues that fund its war in Ukraine, had been stalled for nearly a year prior to Graham's sudden death this month.

Lawmakers had lowered the level of tariffs specified in the legislation to 100%, instead of a uniform rate of 500% in a previous version of the bill, in an effort to gain more support. However, the bill raised concerns in Congress about potentially granting Trump new powers.

Source: Al Jazeera